Airfoil mounting and actuating mechanism



J 1946- F. E. FLADER 2,404,045

AIRFOIL MOUNTING AND ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 20, 1943 FIG. I III INVENTOR.

\/ FREDRIC E. FLADER ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1946 AIRFOIL MOUNTING AND ACTUATING MECHANISM Fredric E. Flader, Kenmore, N. Y., assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation ,of Delaware Application November 20, 1943, Serial No. 511,155

2 Claims. (Cl. 244-42) This invention relates to I improvements in mounting and actuating mechanisms for the auxiliary airfoils of airplanes, and more particularly the invention is concerned with a mechanism 2 of the arms l3 includes a cylinder I5. Hydraulic fluid from supply lines I6 and Il may be introduced into the said cylinders through branches I8 and I9, respectively, the delivery of fluid under of the kind which may be availed of to extend and pressure from the pump, or other source, to the lower a flap, whereby to increase th effective supply lines being controlled by a suitable valve camber of the wing of which the flap is a part and or valves (not shown). at the same time open a slot in, and increase the At its inner end each of the cylinders I4 is basic or overall area of, the wing. pivotally connected to a bracket 20 which is car- One object of the invention is to provide a 10 ried by a rib or other convenient part of the main mechanism of the character generally described airfoil. The cylinders [5, on the other hand, which will move the auxiliary airfoil rapidly to are secured at their outer as well as at their inner the desired position and which will support it ends, as at 2|, to fixed parts of the main airfoil. solidly in such position. Plungers 22 which are connected to, or which are A further object is to provide a mechanism extensions of, the pistons (not shown) in the cylwhich is operabl to lower the auxiliary airfoil inders I4 are pivotally connected at their outer in any desired extended position. ends to cars 23 on upper and rearwardly located A still further object is a mechanism which portions of the nose of the flap while plungers 24 may, if desired, be actuated to lower the auxiliary associated with the cylinders I5 are connected at airfoil without at the sam time extending it. their outer ends to cars on lower and forwardly A still further object is to provide a mechanism located portions of the nose of the flap, the conwhich may be utilized to mount the auxiliary nections of the plungers 22 with the ears 23 and airfoil upon the main airfoil without cutting into, the connections of the plungers 24 with the ears or otherwise deforming, the nose or leading edge 25 preferably being along parallel lines. Normally of the auxiliary airfoil. 25 the plungers 22 and 24 support the flap in the A still further object is a novel design and full-line position shown in Figures 2 and 3. In arrangement of the parts of the mechanism, such position the nose of the flap is located under, whereby to obtain simplicity in construction and and in profile conforms substantially to, the dependability in operation. trailing edge of the main airfoil, while the upper The invention is illustrated in the accompany- 3 and lower surfaces of the flap provide substaning drawing, in which: tially uninterrupted continuations of the corre- Figure 1 is a view in plan of an airplane wing sponding surfaces of the main airfoil. having a flap mounted and actuated by mecha- The flap I0 may be extended and lowered to nism embodying the features of the invention. increase the lift of the wing by admitting hy- Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken draulic fluid into the cylinders I4 and I5, simulalong line 2--2 of Figure 1, the flap being shown taneously or otherwise. As the plungers 22 and in full lines in its normal elevated position and in 24 are extended, the flap is moved to the dotteddotted lines in its lowered, extended position. line position illustrated in Figure 2. The move- Figure 3 is a similar section, the flap being ment of the flap to such position increases subshown in full lines in the same position as in stantially the basic area, chord and camber of the Figure 2 ut being Shown in te lines n a wing and at the same time opens a slot between lowered, non-extended position the nose of the flap and the trailing edge of the The mounting and actuating mechanism is main airfoil through which air may flow from illustrated by way of example in connection with the under side of the wing. On the other hand, a flap II! of an airplane, the latter being sufiiif it is desired to maintain the basic area of the ciently indicated for the purpose in view by a wing constant and obtain the increased lift by showing of a wing II thereof. lowering the flap without extending it, hydraulic In accordance with the invention the flap I0 fluid may be admitted only to the cylinders I4. is connected to the main airfoil by an upper series In this event the plungers 22 are extended while of extensible arms I2 and a lower series of exthe plungers 24 are held in their normal retensible arms I3. Although the said arms may, if tracted positions, and the flap is moved to the desired, be in the form of jackscrews and medotted-line position shown in Figure 3 without chanically actuated, they are preferably, as illusopening a slot between it and the main airfoil. trated, hydraulically actuated. To this end, each The flap may also be adjusted to, and supported of the arms I2 includes a cylinder I4 while each in, various other positions by limiting to differ- 3 ent degrees the outward movement of the plungers 22 and 24.

It will be apparent that the plungers 24 provide pivots about which the flap may be angularly adjusted by the plungers 22, the stationary cylinders l5 permitting rectilinear movement only of the plungers 24 while the pivotally mounted cylinders 14 automatically swing about their pivots as the plungers 22 are moved outwardly or inwardly. The construction described has the advantage that any desired angular movement of the flap may be obtained for any desired slot adjustment. In this connection it will also be noted that the connection of the flap to the mounting and actuating mechanism does not involve cutting away of any of the nose portions of the flap or in otherwise interfering to any substantial degree with the free passage of air between, or around, the main and auxiliary airfoils.

I claim as my invention:

1. Mechanism for attaching an auxiliary airfoil to a main airfoil and for actuating the auxiliary airfoil, said mechanism including a plurality of arms, each having a hydraulic cylinder and an extensible plunger carried by the cylinder, means for pivotally connecting said plungers to said auxiliary airfoil, means for connecting certain of said cylinders to said main airfoil so that they to a main airfoil and for actuating the auxiliary airfoil, said mechanism including a plurality of arms, each having a hydraulic cylinder and an extensible plunger carried by the cylinder, means for pivotally connecting said plungers to said auxiliary airfoil, means for connecting certain of said cylinders to said main airfoil so that they are supported against angular movement, means for pivotally connecting other of said cylinders to said main airfoil so that they are free to move angularly, and means for introducing hydraulic fluid into said cylinders to cause said plungers to extend and lower said auxiliary airfoil, said arms being operative to lower said auxiliary airfoil to substantially the same degree in various extended positions.

FREDRIC E. FLADER. 

